Me & Weird Al

Currently listening to: Fat - Weird Al Yankovic
Current reading: The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski

Yes, you read that right, I'm listening to Weird Al's Fat, his spoof of Michael Jackson's Bad. I still find Al's video hilariously funny. So why am I watching it? Well, it ties in loosely with what I'm writing about in this post.

Long story short, I had a check-up over the past few months and overall I'm in good health... except for my liver. Don't worry, it's not serious (yet) but could become serious over time. I have what is ignominiously called fatty liver.

PLEASE NO ONE TELL MY MOM! I MEAN IT!

She will freak out in no uncertain terms. This is manageable but if she gets wind of it, it won't be. I love my Mom dearly but some things she just doesn't need to know.

Anyway, back to the fat. Essentially it is an excess build up of fat in and around the liver which is gradually impeding the liver in its normal functions (gee, wonder where they got the name for it?). Right now it's not serious but left unchecked, it could eventually become cirrhosis. This is a lifetime's worth of eating anything I wanted whenever I wanted in any amount I wanted catching up with me at last. So now it's official: I must eat healthy and I must exercise.

Shoot me now.

Ok, maybe don't shoot me. The change has begun... slowly. I have started altering my diet. Fat, sugar & processed foods of any kind have to go. In with the veggies and fibre and twigs and lawnmower clippings and so on. This is going to be a serious challenge since I have a sweet tooth the size of Jupiter. But it's gotta be done. And it will be good for me. I've known for a long time now that I need to lose about 40 pounds - or about 8 inches of belly fat. So, now I have the doctor's orders to back it up.

So, I can identify with Weird Al like never before. I'm fat, I'm fat, really really fat... but I can laugh at myself as much as I laugh at the video. It will take a while. It will be painful, in a figurative sense. Once I actually start exercising it will become painful in the literal sense. But at the end of it all, I should be leaner and healthier. THAT'S what I need to keep in mind. But for now... me & Weird Al will be buddies.

I've said it before and I'll say it again... ANY AND ALL SUGGESTIONS on how to eat or exercise are most welcome! I'm a newbie at this!

Fat and fighting it in Dave's World,
DW

And We're Off...

Currently listening to: Experiment IV by Kate Bush
Current reading: The Tale of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski

I love this song and video by Kate Bush. I remember the first time I saw the video it freaked me out & gave me the creeps. Of course the F/X look dated now but the story and the concept and the overall effect of the video are still creeeeeepy!

Well, obviously I didn't get a chance to blog from away. Computer access was limited. But I did have a wonderful time in Halifax with brother, wife, niece, nephew and of course, Mom! And oh yeah, Gunther the wonder hound! :-) I think we took more pictures of him than anything else!

The holiday was two weeks of pure rest and relaxation. All we did was sleep, eat, play games and take the odd walk or day trip. By the end of it I was getting antsy for something to do but still, it was nice. The weather was gorgeous - we had a picture-postcard perfect white Christmas and then a few days later it turned mild and the snow was gone and it was great!

And now, I'm back. Well, I've been back for a week now; took this long to get back into the swing of things and adjust to the regular schedule again. Nothing new or spectacular to report. I'm home, life goes on and we're off and running for 2012. Maybe it's not glamourous but it's a lot to be thankful for.

Looking forward to 2012 in Dave's World,
DW

Leaving on a Jet Plane...

Currently listening to: Assorted Christmas songs on Galaxie
Current reading: The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski

Yes, it's that time. I leave this afternoon for two weeks in Halifax with eldest brother & family and my Mom. Really excited! I get in Halifax at 2:00 a.m.! Real Christmas travel adventure! So I thought I'd pop a little note on here to say MERRY CHRISTMAS to one and all, as I may not have computer access during my stay down there. And of course, right now I am in the panicked middle of trying to pack and making sure I haven't forgotten anything ... ah, the wonderful world of the last-minute person!

Anyway... everyone take care out there and perhaps I'll get to blog from away!

Travelling (and loving it) in Dave's World!
DW

We Did It!

Currently listening to: Etcetera by Gabrielle Destroismaisons
Current reading: Nothing at the moment

Ahh, Gabrielle... Montréal... the best memories!

Yes!!! WE DID IT!!! The run of Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some) was a tremendous success! Four great audiences, four great runs, four standing ovations - it was awesome! So many people have told us how much they loved the show, how much they laughed and enjoyed it... very rewarding! I am SO blessed to be a part of Regina Little Theatre and to have been a part of so many great shows! This one was actually my 15th "main stage" - incredible!

All that being said, once it was all said and done, I crashed. I was SO tired. I think now I am finally recovered and feel like I have myself back to somewhat "normal". ANd just in time as I leave in a week for Halifax to spend Christmas & New Year's with my bro & his family & my Mom! I'll be there for 2 weeks, returning to the west on January 6th. Can't wait! Milder weather and lounging around enjoying Mom's baking & cooking and playing games and just doing NOTHING! Sounds like a great holiday to me!

Tired but happy in Dave's World,
DW

"This is it, the night of nights!"

Currently listening to: Jai Ho - Slumdog Millionaire Soundtrack
Current reading: Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some)

Ah, Jai Ho... such a happy, celebratory song! Kinda fitting I guess...

WOO HOO!

Tonight was opening night for Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some) and wow! What an opening night! We had about 275 in the audience, which is phenomenal for a Wednesday night show and they were a very enthusiastic and supportive group! Usually the Wednesday night crowd is quiet but not these guys! They were in it from the get-go. They made a fun show even more fun for us to do!

I was SO relieved because for me, the dress rehearsal was awful. I stumbled, flubbed and otherwise messed up so many times. I was SO discouraged and for once, I was actually afraid that I would not be able to do my part in the show. My confidence really took a beating. But, tonight turned all that around. We hit our stride right off the bat and despite a few minor hiccups here and there, we had a great show!

Now we just have to do the same for the next three nights... Ack! :)

Happy in Dave's World,
DW

Into The Stretch

Currently listening to: One of Our Submarines - Thomas Dolby
Current reading: Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some)

It's that time again.

We perform the above-mentioned play next week. Over the next 11 days, I have one evening free... that's it. My days will start at 6:00 a.m. and conclude somewhere around 11:00 p.m. (or later). Tired much? But I wouldn't trade it for anything. I love acting, I love theatre and this time of year would just feel odd if I weren't running about madly from work to rehearsal, grabbing "meals" and a few hours sleep here and there!

It probably goes without saying that I don't have much to say beyond that because my life consists of very little beyond that right now. I just have some random thoughts:

I love this song by Thomas Dolby. To me it exemplifies the best of 80's music - haunting, very "atmospheric", a little quirky, dealing with subject matter that one doesn't usually hear much about in typical pop songs. And why am I listening to it at this particular moment? Just a whim...

My last posting was on November 11th and I so wanted to talk about my aunt that I neglected to mention Remembrance Day. I was fortunate to have the day off so I went to the ceremony at the cenotaph. Three of my uncles and one of my grandfathers were/are veterans. My grandfather fought in WWI, two uncles in WWII and one in the Korean War. I was glad to be able to take the time to remember and be grateful for them. As we stood there in the minute of silence, the boom of "cannon fire" echoed around us; a couple of kilometres away at the legislative building, they were firing off a 21-gun-salute. It made me wonder how loud it must have been on the battlefield with dozens (hundreds?) of these gigantic guns going off and how terrifying to be standing there, knowing that some shell fired from a distance is about to come down somewhere around you. I really can't conceive of it. And the reason I can't is because I've never had to... because of what they did. I hope Canadians never forget that. I will do my part to remember.

Time for getting some sleep, if I can. The trouble with doing a play is that by the end of the day, I'm wired... but that's precisely when I should be trying to get some sleep! Oh well... did I mention I love this?

Taking a deep breath before the plunge in Dave's World,
DW

Good-bye to a Lovely Lady

Currently listening to: Nothing at the moment
Current reading: Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some)

My last posting was about the loss of a friend. Since then I have also lost a family member, my Mom's eldest sister, Aunt Ev (short for Evelyn). This all happened a few weeks ago now but its only today that I've had the time and the inner wherewithal to capture it all and type it out. She was in her late 80's. She suffered a stroke about 5 years ago and had been in a care home since then. I saw her this past summer and she was doing well, all things considered. We talked and reminisced and laughed till we cried... just like old times. Early in October she came down with a bout of pneumonia and had to go into hospital. While there, they determined that her kidneys were basically shutting down. Her wish was that if her condition should deteriorate that no extreme measures be taken. They kept her comfortable and she eventually, peacefully, passed on.

To say I was heartbroken is an understatement. That I couldn't get home for the funeral made it even worse. She was such a huge part of my life, from my earliest memories on. Staying at her place when we would visit St. John's, admiring her beautiful garden & greenhouses (she had a amazing green thumb), doing crossword puzzles, staying up late listening to her and Mom talk about their childhood and other experiences and yes, laughing till we cried. All this accompanied by cups of tea and some "lunch" (what we Newfoundlanders call a late night snack). I would hear the same stories over and over again and they never ceased to be hilariously funny every time, as though we were hearing them for the first time.

When my Dad was dying in hospital and Mom was spending all her time there, Aunt Ev came out from St. John's and stayed with us, basically taking care of me as I was only 9 and in school. When Dad passed away, Mom called the house and told Aunt Ev, who then had the unenviable task of telling me. I remember her looking me in the eye and telling me very gently, her own voice breaking with emotion, that Dad was gone. Then she hugged me. I remember going back into the living room and watching cartoons while she finished making my lunch. It was all so simple... and yet, I am so glad she was there and handled it so well.

Happier times saw me visiting her when we would go to St. John's for the annual Salvation Army Congress. We would stay at her place (which she was always in the process of re-painting, re-wallpapering, cleaning or something - it was always immaculate!) and she would come with us to the services. Sitting next to her was an exercise in self-control as she would invariably make hilarious comments during the course of the meeting that would have me wanting to laugh out loud! She had a wonderfully mischievious sense of humour! But she took her faith seriously nonetheless. She enjoyed a good "Hallelujah time" as they would have called it.

When I went to university, she would come out every Saturday during my first year and take me back to her home to do my laundry and make sure that I had at least one decent cooked meal during the week! When life took me out of Newfoundland, she would make a point to call me once in a while just to see how I was doing.

She was a very strong woman, strong-willed, strong in her convictions and unafraid of any physical work. And her love was strong too. I was her nephew but I was made to feel like a son. Aunt Ev, you were a lovely lady. I loved you dearly and I'll always miss you.

Feeling the loss in Dave's World,
DW